Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

The increasing diversity among contemporary immigrants to the United States and the persistence of xenophobia, discrimination, and prejudice against immigrants calls for contextualized analyses of immigrants’ integration into the U.S. society. Drawing on theoretical perspectives in public policy and nonprofit sector, this study addresses the role of nonprofits in the integration of immigrant groups. It particularly explores the processes of immigrant integration by looking at the church organization as an important source of community and social solidarity for relatively new Nigerian immigrants in the U.S. Data used were collected from a survey of 55 participants and interviews of 5 key informants from a Nigerian-originated Pentecostal church, which has over 280 million members, with at least 800 parishes in North America, 4000 parishes in Nigeria, and over 6000 parishes worldwide. Findings suggest that the stated vision and mission of the church shape its role in integrating immigrants in important ways. It further suggests that while churches are one of the sources of support and social solidarity, immigrants should look to churches more for the collective benefit they provide than as a source of personalized guidance in their integration process. These findings speak to the debate about ethnic-based associations, whether they are enclaves that may constrain immigrants’ integration and contact with the majority population, or whether they help promote human and social capital that can strengthen individual resiliency to navigate the challenges of a new society.